RIP Kenny Baker

Kenny Baker, the Actor Who Starred as R2-D2, Dies at 83

Kenny Baker has passed away after battling a long illness, according to The Guardian. He was most famous for bringing the droid R2-D2 to life in the Star Wars films, providing the franchise with some of its funniest and most human moments. At less than four feet tall, he was “the smallest man in show business,” after the Star Wars films launched his career.

He went on to play Fidgit, one of the spacetime-traveling dwarves in Time Bandits, a goblin in Labyrinth, and had roles in The Elephant Man, Flash Gordon, and Amadeus. He returned to the Star Wars franchise for the prequels where he reprised his role as the diminutive droid, and was a consultant for last year's Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

His niece, Abigail Shield, told The Guardian: “It was expected, but it’s sad nonetheless. He had a very long and fulfilled life. He brought lots of happiness to people and we’ll be celebrating the fact that he was well loved throughout the world. We’re all very proud of what he achieved in his lifetime.” She continued, “When he was a child, he was told that he probably wouldn’t survive through puberty, being a little person in those times, they didn’t have a very good life expectancy. He did extremely well in his life.”